Road transport efficiency
At present, the reciprocating internal combustion engine (ICE), either as homogeneous charge spark ignition (petrol engines) or stratified charge compression ignition (diesel engines), dominates the drive trains of road vehicles. Most new improvements to the petrol engine reduce the drivability (acceleration times) of vehicles,
while ‘lean burn direct injection petrol engines’ prevent the use of 3-way catalyst emissions control and increase vehicle cost. Current turbo-charged diesel engines using the ‘common rail’ injection system already offer 20% fuel savings over petrol engines.
"Energising Development": new EC initiative to help achieve energy access for all by 2030 Apr 17, 2012
A new EU energy initiative which will provide access to sustainable energy for an additional 500 million people in developing countries by 2030 was today announced by European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso.
SET-Plan Conference 2011:the future of energy depends on research and financing Nov 30, 2011
The Warsaw conference on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) began on 28th November - the same day as the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, at which representatives of the world’s largest economies are discussing the future of limiting the world emission of carbon dioxide.
JEC Well-to-Wheels (WTW) analysis of future automotive fuels and powertrains in the European context Nov 17, 2011
As part of their long-standing partnership, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Council for Automotive R&D (EUCAR) and the Oil Companies’ European Organisation for Environment, Health and Safety (CONCAWE), jointly referred to as JEC, has made an update of their joint evaluations of the WTW energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for a wide range of potential future fuel and powertrain options.
European Commission Roadmap to Resource Efficiency published Oct 14, 2011
Last month the European Commission published its ‘Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe’. The Roadmap contains a series of medium- (2020) and long-term (2050) resource efficiency objectives as well as the means needed for achieving them, including targets by 2013 and milestones for 2020.
Download the SETIS brochure - new in the Library Jul 25, 2011
What is SETIS? How does SETIS support the SET-Plan? Download the new informational brochure (available in English, Dutch and Italian), which looks at how SETIS provides information for decision-making by monitoring progress of the SET-Plan.
ATEsT online newsletters Jul 12, 2011
ATEsT (Analysing Transition Planning and Systemic Energy Planning Tools for the implementation of the Energy Technology Information System) brings together EU competence on a transition towards a low-carbon energy system through energy innovation, energy modelling activities and technology assessment.
New European Energy Efficiency Fund launched Jul 05, 2011
On 1st July 2011, the Commission launched a new European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEE-F) as part of the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR).
EC consultation on methods of accounting of RES in the transport sector May 10, 2011
The European Commission recently launched a public consultation on accounting methods of RES in the transport sector. The deadline for the input is 14 June 2011.
European Commission adopts Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 Mar 31, 2011
On 8th March 2011, the EC adopted its Communication, "Energy Efficiency Plan 2011", which puts energy efficiency at the heart of the Europe 2020 Strategy for what it calls “smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and the transition to a resource efficient economy.”
EESC calls for a common EU external policy on energy Mar 31, 2011
In a communiqué issued on 18th March 2011, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls on the European Union to consider the security of its energy supply as one of the priorities of its external policy. The recommendation is one of the results of an Opinion on energy supply and neighbourhood policy commissioned by the current Hungarian EU presidency.
EESC Conference on Energy Security Mar 31, 2011
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is holding a conference in Pécs (Hungary) on 29th April 2011 on how EU energy policy can ensure security of supply and how we can strengthen the external dimension of EU energy policy.
Successful Belgian Presidency conference on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) Nov 18, 2010
The Belgian presidency and the European Commission organised the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan Conference 2010. More than 500 stakeholders from industry and research institutes and European and national policymakers from across Europe gathered in Brussels for the fourth edition of the SET-Plan conference. The main objectives were the launch of the next two European Industrial Initiatives: Bioenergy and Sustainable Nuclear Energy, and the kick-off of the international cooperation dimension within the SET-Plan.
France, UK, Germany issue joint call for 30% CO2 cuts Jul 22, 2010
Ministers from the UK, France and Germany have issued a joint call for the EU to raise its emission reduction target to 30% by 2020.
Renewables account for 62% of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU in 2009 Jul 22, 2010
The ‘Renewable Energy Snapshots’ report, published in July 2010 by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), shows that renewable energy sources accounted for 62%, or 17GW, of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU27 in 2009. This is up from 57% in 2008.
European Parliament roundtable: At the intersection of financing and policy – investing in low-carbon energy technologies in the EU Jun 04, 2010
Despite the effects of the global economic crisis, investment in low-carbon technologies has remained comparatively stable in recent years. The crisis has, however, reinforced the importance of the financial impetus needed to bring low-carbon energy technologies on stream.
Financing the development and installation of low-carbon energy is currently a political priority, but increased investment for these energy technologies is needed at both EU and international levels.
Strategic energy technologies
- - Advanced fossil fuel production
- - Biofuels
- - Bioenergy
- - Cement energy efficiency
- - Carbon capture and storage
- - Cogeneration of heat and power
- - Concentrated solar power
- - Electricity grids
- - Electricity storage in the power sector
- - Fuel cells and hydrogen
- - Geothermal power
- - Hydropower
- - Nuclear fission power
- - Nuclear fusion power
- - Ocean wave power
- - Road transport efficiency
- - Solar heating and cooling
- - Solar photovoltaic
- - Wind energy
